


Three of a Kind

by silveradept



Category: Quest for Glory
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-05
Updated: 2016-04-05
Packaged: 2018-05-31 09:57:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6465856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silveradept/pseuds/silveradept
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One adventurer in the valley was a bother. Two, dressed alike, was a curiosity. Three in the same day was downright weird, even for Erasmus and Fenrus.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Three of a Kind

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Wallwalker](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wallwalker/gifts).



"Fenrus, what's my schedule today?" Erasmus, wizard of the Magic Mountain and several other attractions scattered throughout the known kingdoms, looked up from his breakfast, chasing a half-remembered thought as it flitted away.

"Familiar, not secretary. Ask the dragon head." Fenrus, familiar to Erasmus and usually the first magical rat that anybody had ever seen, was used to this. There was an order to things, and even specific magical constructs assigned to these kinds of tasks, but Erasmus had a habit of asking whomever happened to be nearby about whatever was on his mind. 

Erasmus smiled at his companion. "Yes, but I know that you won't rat me out to the WIT if I ask you."

Fenrus inwardly groaned. "And the puns begin early this morning. As it turns out, you have an appointment with Aziza at 10:45 to discuss the latest WIT candidates. Then you're supposed to talk to the centaurs about the recent resurgence of fairy mushroom rings in the forest and then see the Antwerp about making sure the goblins stop harassing her--and that's not going to matter at all today, because someone has decided that they're going to ignore the warning signs and is climbing the mountain. Has the look of an adventurer to them, too. Blond wig, red cape, sword slung at his side, pack full of stuff, just trusting their stamina to carry them through. They look like a poster child for the Famous Adventurer's school thing."

Erasmus looked out the window at the pathway leading up the mountain, and snapped his fingers, bringing up a closer view of the stranger walking up to the gate. The gargoyle challenged him with the questions, and the stranger passed through them without hesitation. Vaulting up the stairs to the study, the adventurer shared some tea with Erasmus, laughed quite heartily at his jokes, much to Fenrus's great annoyance, and asked a few questions about the curse affecting the valley and the Baron's children. When they were done, Erasmus helpfully teleported the adventurer to the bottom of the mountain to send him on his way.

"A strange bunch, adventurers," Fenrus remarked, "always willing to risk getting killed in multiple ways. Why would anyone take that up as a profession?"

"For those with the calling, there's no other option. Plus, I've heard that the benefits of being a Hero are quite remarkable. Free ale, good food, lovely companionship, and worldwide name recognition, " Erasmus had a twinkle on his eye as he recounted the list, "which will come in handy when you start looking into merchandising and endorsement deals."

"Like 'Razzle Dazzle Root Beer'?" Fenrus still wondered why everyone had thought the brew was the best drink for the better part of a decade. He suspected it had to do with blue frog extract, but he had never been able to confirm with the wizard what the secret ingredient actually was.

"Exactly." Before Erasmus could launch into a discussion of the intricate details of marketing and branding, he looked at the path again. "He's back."

"Huh?" Fenrus looked out at the adventurer being questioned by the gargoyle. "Red cape, pack, wait...I think this one's a natural blonde, and he's got knives instead of a sword, but otherwise, yeah, he looks just like the last one. Seems a bit shiftier, too, like he's always looking for an opportunity to pinch something. Hah, and when the gargoyle asked him about the Thieves' Guild password, he hesitated. I wonder who, or what, this one is running from that they're willing to take up adventuring."

"We'll find out, won't we?" Erasmus said. This adventurer nervously had tea, did not laugh at as many of Erasmus's jokes as the first one, and asked similar questions about the curse afflicting the valley and the Baron's children. When finished, Erasmus teleported him to the base of the mountain, and then made sure nothing had been stolen during the visit.

"Two visitors to Spielburg is more than this valley sees in years. Why the sudden interest?" Fenrus was curious, and his curiosity only deepened when a third adventurer, clearly one skilled with magic as his hair changed from strawberry to blonde as he came in sight of the gargoyle, dressed the same as the previous two adventurers, came up for tea.

Erasmus made a few jokes at him, then invited him to play a game of Mage's Maze. Fenrus expected it to be quick, since Erasmus was the reigning regional champion and Fenrus the runner-up, but the game dragged on. As the two magicians manipulated their sparks on the board, the adventurer asked about the curse affecting the valley and the situation with the Baron's children. In return, Erasmus asked the adventurer about his family (only child), whether he had friends in the area (not really, no), and what brought him to the valley. The last question turned out to be the most useful one, as the adventurer described an advertisement that had been placed in the Famous Adventurer's Classified Ads and Job Notices newsletter referring to an opportunity to fulfill a prophecy and make a little money at it, perfect for recent graduates to get experience and start making a name for themselves. He had thought the requirements were a little weird, but that the pay offered was good enough to be worth the trouble. Not too soon afterward, the adventurer sprinted his spark across the finish line. Fenrus was shocked, but Erasmus took his defeat with good humor and teleported the adventurer back to the base of the mountain.

"I've never seen you lose at Mage's Maze, Erasmus."

"And you never will, Fenrus, if I'm trying to win it." Erasmus winked at his familiar. "Now we know much more about why this valley had a sudden influx of visitors right before winter. There's just one thing left to do. Newsletter," he sang, pointing his finger in the direction of Fenrus, " _fetch_!"

" _Still_ not your secretary," Fenrus muttered acidly, then ducked as a sheet of paper came whizzing over his head into Erasmus's hands, assisted by the nimbus of the retrieval spell the wizard had cast. Scanning the sheet, Erasmus began to laugh. Fenrus arranged himself on Erasmus's shoulder and began to read the announcement.

> " _Come a hero from the east,_  
>  Free the man from the beast.  
>  Bring the child from in the band.  
>  Drive the curser from the land."
> 
> Are you looking for an introductory job into the world of adventurers and heroes? Do you like visiting exotic locales and slaying the monsters that terrorize them? 
> 
> The barony of Spielburg is seeking a Hero to remove a decade-old curse inflicted on the royal family, as well as a pesky bandit presence from within our borders. Pay and prestige is commensurate with experience and special curse-breaking abilities. 
> 
> The qualified hero:
> 
>   * is a certified graduate of an accredited Adventurer School or Hero Training Program,
>   * can provide their own equipment to fight monsters in the forests during day and night,
>   * Comes equipped with a red cape for use against the primary sentry of the bandit camp, a minotaur, and
>   * is of sufficiently Northern heritage or sufficiently skilled in makeup or magic that they can pass for a resident of the area, so as not to tip off the curse-caster to their presence.
> 

> 
> All interested parties should apply in person to the Baron of Spielburg, Spielburg Valley, before the first snow of winter closes the passes for the season.
> 
> The barony of Spielburg is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of species, race, religious beliefs, patron gods, magical talents, or self-preservation tendencies.

Fenrus shook his head at the announcement. "What the Baron needs is an army, not an adventurer."

"The prophecy was quite clear, Fenrus. This will be a great opportunity for someone to launch their hero career. The least we can do is be supportive." Erasmus smiled for a bit, before furrowing his eyebrows, trying to succeed at a task of memory. "Fenrus, what time is it?"

"Time for you to get a new hourglass."

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy the treat! I was really happy to have someone nominate this game series as a possibility.
> 
> This is mostly a thing I wrote after thinking "What if the story we have of one Hero that does all these deeds is actually three (or more) heroes that all look too close to each other to be differentiated?"


End file.
